Loaded High Notes
by fallenstar2013
Summary: Natsu decided to bring Gajeel and Gray to a karaoke night, but Erza overheard the plans and made some of her own with the girls! Will the guys' words and thoughts touch the girls' hearts, or will the drinks make them forget all about it the next morning? Will Juvia sing something with Gray, or will they avoid each other all night due to shyness? Fairy Tail (c) Hiro Mashima
1. Chapter 1

The crack in his voice signaled him that he should probably stop singing, or at least lower his volume. Gray Fullbuster stopped singing, noticing that his meal had been ready and waiting for a while now. He checked the rice. It was done, and he thought it looked better than other times he'd prepared it. His beans were unrivaled, at least according to Erza, so he didn't bother tasting them. He put the stove at minimum heat, though, to keep the beans warm. Gray needed to use the bathroom, after all.

Five minutes later, the raven-haired young man sat at the only table in his apartment with his plate full of food and his music Lacrima turned off. A satisfied sigh escaped when he took his first bite. Whether his cooking was great or not was up for debate, but damn did he know how to make rice and beans. Gray noticed he had left his cupboard doors open, so he stood up to close them. He made a mental note to buy more pasta the next morning when his communication Lacrima rang.

"Yeah?" he asked in a monotone.

"What're you doing this Thursday night?" asked Natsu from the other side of the call.

Gray remained quiet for a few seconds, wondering what he could say to annoy Natsu. He figured the truth would do. "Probably sit in my bed, think about murder, sex, and total isolation—"

"Was that an ice pun?!" growled Natsu.

"What?"

"ICE-olation?" said the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, irked. "Dammit, Gray, I thought we were over this!"

Gray's hand found its way to his forehead. Either the pink-haired moron was dumber than he thought, or he had been unconsciously doing that for weeks. He thought it was probably the former.

"Whatever," he said. "Why did you ask?"

"Cause I was gonna ask you to come with me and Gajeel to that bar that opened up last month down the street from the guild," replied his best friend. "But since you'll be mopin' around as usual, then I guess that's a no from you…"

Gray's brow furrowed. Natsu had a knack to piss him off whenever possible, though this time it seemed he really wasn't expecting Gray to tag along. The Ice Devil Slayer decided to accept out of spite.

"Ah, what the hell," he said, catching his rival's attention, "I'll go. I have nothing better to do, anyway."

"Wait, what?" Natsu sounded surprised. "Um, okay… I'll tell the tin man, then."

"Awesome. At what time should we meet?" asked the raven-haired mage.

"Uh," Natsu stopped to think for a few seconds. "How about 9pm in the guild?"

"Sounds cool," muttered Gray.

"Dammit Gray! Just for that I shouldn't tell you about the karaoke!" yelled Natsu, annoyed.

"That wasn't—wait, there's karaoke?!" said Gray with a grimace. Well, that was great. All he had to do now was embarrass himself in front of everyone there. That is, unless he stripped first, of course.

"No, there's not! See ya tomorrow," Natsu hung up quickly.

Gray ran a hand through his hair. Natsu probably wanted to sing with him and Gajeel, or maybe humiliate him by getting him drunk first and then making him sing. Either way, he knew what the outcome would be: the three would sing and someone would tell the press or record a video of it and the whole guild would be talking about it in less than twenty-four hours, and he'd be embarrassed to no end regardless. He hated singing in front of people. Not that he hated his voice, though. He just didn't feel like anyone deserved to see that side of him. He also didn't feel like anyone should see most other sides of him, but that wasn't the point in his mind. He sighed, wondering if he should cancel going to the bar. He decided not to. He wouldn't let Natsu call him chicken, so he'd have to make the flame brain sing first to keep things even or find a really good reason not to sing at all. He checked his calendar. It was Tuesday.

* * *

The next day, Gray was sitting on a stool next to Cana, who was napping on the guild's bar, with a sour expression. He often wished he wouldn't agree to things just to annoy Salamander, but their rivalry was too strong. The ice mage groaned lowly before Erza sat next to him.

"Something on your mind?" asked the redhead.

"I often wish I could just say 'no' to things…" muttered the black-haired mage.

"Natsu again? Where're you going?" asked Erza, curious.

"Oh, we're just goin' drinking." Gray looked around the guild to see if the pink-haired hothead was around. They spotted each other, and Natsu stood up from his chair and started making his way towards the ice mage. "Ah, shit. Speak of the dragon…"

"Hey, chilly! You better be warmin' up! Gajeel said he's gonna bring his guitar!" called Natsu when he reached the pair. A few meters away from the trio, a loud sneeze was heard.

"Yeah, right, he is," chuckled Gray sarcastically.

"Well, he will once I tell him." Natsu smirked at Gray, who snarled in reply. The fire Dragon Slayer nodded while still smirking, as if to say that they would sing in that karaoke whether Gray wanted to or not. The ice Devil Slayer shook his head, still snarling. They kept doing the same gesture over and over, getting more vigorous with each repetition while their fists started to clench menacingly. The little exchange didn't go unnoticed by Erza, though.

"I hope you two are getting along well," she warned lowly. Natsu and Gray squealed in terror and calmed down immediately.

"Yes, ma'am," they replied in unison. Natsu turned to Gray and added, "Don't worry; we'll all have fun! And you should shave; you look like crap. Also, you better start practicing, though! I hear Gajeel wants to do a duet with you!"

Gray glared at his pink-haired friend while another loud sneeze was heard in the guild and muttered something under his breath about his facial hair (not that he had a substantial amount; he was "blessed" with not being able to grow much of it) while the Salamander left him alone with the redhead. Erza squinted at the exchange, deep in thought, when an idea popped into her head.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Lucy and Erza were shopping together for clothes. Not that either needed them, though; Erza just needed an excuse to talk to Lucy away from the guild.

"You have any plans for tomorrow night?" asked the gorgeous redhead.

"Well, Levy and I were gonna finish the latest book of an old series…" said the busty blonde. "But we can do it another time if you're gonna suggest something."

"You know that new bar down the street from the guild?"

"Oh, I know which one you mean!" Lucy put back a pink shirt that wasn't much to her tastes and looked at her friend. "You wanna go there?"

"If you want," shrugged Erza. "I hear they have karaoke…"

"Ok, now I really wanna go!" Lucy beamed in excitement. "Oh, I should tell Levy and Juvia! It's more fun when we're together!"

"Perfect! We'll meet up in your place tomorrow night so we can go, then!" Erza was excited too, but not because of the fun the girls were going to have…

* * *

 **phew~ I'm glad I could come up with this little fic just to pass time! actually, I was planning on writing it for a while so I finally published the first chapter xD**

 **I hope you like it~ please leave your thoughts/opinions/whatever~ :3**

 _ **~Humbert**_


	2. Chapter 2

Juvia dropped her backpack in her apartment's living room, exhausted from the day's mission, when her communications Lacrima rang.

"Y-yes?" she said, catching her breath.

"Hey, Juvia! Did I catch you at a bad time?" greeted Lucy.

"Not at all!" said the bluenette happily. "Juvia just got back from her mission, so she has nothing to do tonight or tomorrow."

"Well, then, that's perfect! Me and Erza were planning on going out tomorrow night to that new bar across the street from the guild!"

"U-ummm…"

As if on cue, Juvia's door was knocked on, and Erza called, "Hey, Juvia! I was planning on taking you, Levy and Lucy to the new bar across the street tomorrow night! Wanna come?"

Juvia giggled lowly. She loved it when her friends would ask to take her out, especially when she didn't have any plans. Of course, it'd be a little bit better if a certain Devil Slayer would invite her…

"Yes, Juvia would love to come!" The water mage answered them both, and they both celebrated in unknowing unison.

"Awesome!" said Lucy. "See you tomorrow in Erza's place, then!"

"Perfect!" said Erza. "See you tomorrow at my place!"

"Sure thing! See you tomorrow!" said the gorgeous bluenette. "I need some rest now!"

"All right, then! Good night!" said the busty blonde.

"Oh, then good night!" said the armored redhead.

"Bye-bye!" Juvia hung up her phone as Erza's steps could be heard leaving her doorstep. Finally alone, she slumped to her couch and sighed. "Well, Juvia guesses she needs a girls' night out, then. Oh, she hopes we have lots of fun together!"

* * *

Gray had spent most of the day trying to find a way to not need to sing tomorrow, but nothing he thought of seemed like a good excuse. He even tried jumping in the river at dusk to catch a cold, but he remembered it was midsummer, so the chances were pretty low. That and the fact that Wendy was the one who found him skinny-dipping and told him to get dressed while casting her magic to heal him of any possible ailments (Gray had joked that she should try it on herself because her red face signaled a fever, but Wendy pouted and scolded him). Gray sighed, slumping into his couch. Maybe he could try making Juvia cause a massive downpour so he could actually catch something? He shook his head. Firstly, making Juvia sad was never a good thing to do in the guild or outside it, and secondly, he hated to see the busty bluenette sad. The sudden thought of the Water Mage seeing him perform on stage terrified him once it came to his head, and Gray decided he'd have to conceal his identity if he couldn't find a reasonable excuse not to sing. His thoughts were making a huge buzz in his mind, so he decided to turn on his music Lacrima and sing along to clear his mind.

" _Hello, darkness, my old friend…_

 _I've come to talk with you again._

 _Because a vision softly creeping_

 _Left its seeds while I was sleeping_ —WHAT THE HELL, HAPPY?!"

"It's been years since we last heard you sing. You still sing so high, Gray," chuckled the blue Exceed, who was perched on his open window. "Makes me wonder what you'll sing tomorrow night."

"That's for you to hear," replied the raven-haired young man, still glaring at Happy. "What're you doing here?"

"Natsu sent me to buy cereal, but I kinda went and stuffed myself with mackerel instead," said Happy, looking embarrassed. "He's gonna kill me… so can I take some of yours?"

"Can't he make pancakes or something? Why d'you have to take MY food?" Gray's brows lowered. Poor Natsu still trusted in a cat to buy his groceries.

"Fine," said the Exceed, "I'll go home and tell Natsu how his best buddy refused to help us…"

"Guilt-tripping me won't work, smartass," replied Gray indifferently.

"But Natsu wants cereal, Gray! Haven't you ever had a craving for cereal?"

"Jeez, fine," Gray said while going to his kitchen to fetch a new box of cereal. "As long as this shuts you up…"

"Thanks, Gray!" said Happy cheerfully while grabbing the box and extending his wings. "We owe you one!"

"Uh-huh," said the Devil Slayer dismissively while the blue Exceed left. Maybe he'd look for more excuses not to sing the next day… though Happy hearing him sing a few moments ago would certainly restrict the time frame on which to blame whatever he'd use as an excuse. He groaned. Happy heard him sing, and he'd surely tell Natsu that Gray can still hit high notes.

Maybe tomorrow he'd have to show off his range to prove the pink-haired mage that he can sing better than him.

Why the hell was he so competitive with that fire-breathing loser?

* * *

 **heeeeere's the second chapter! :D I can't believe it's gotten so many followers in just three days ;w; (but pls leave reviews!) it's pretty much the fastest fic of ours to have so many followers overnight~**

 **anyways, in case you're wondering, this fic will be narrated in different points of view, including (but not limited to) Gray's and Juvia's~ that means we'll be working to express the different characters' thoughts... ah, you know how that works by now so why bother explaining xD**

 **and no, there won't be any singing in the next chapter :P it's ok, though, at least they'll make it to the bar... or will they? ewe**

 **aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalsooooooo it's not an AU story... technically... well, no, it's not. It's set somewhen in the story after the Tartaros arc (hence the Devil Hunter-I mean, Slayer-thing) but that's all I'll say for now~**

 **any questions and opinions please leave them as reviews (I wanna hear from you~!)**

 _ **~Humbert**_


	3. Chapter 3

Gajeel and Natsu were arm-wrestling when Gray met them in the guild on Thursday afternoon. The difference in apparel between the three was astounding. Natsu was going casual with his muffler, a red T-shirt, dark jeans, and red sneakers. Gajeel was overdressed; his black buttoned-up shirt and shoes, and grey pants made him look like the owner of a club or something like that, or so Gray thought. Gray, once he saw his friends, felt incredibly underdressed (and maybe he was). He wore his black sweatpants and boots because they were comfortable (though some would argue that they didn't match), and his sleeveless, cream-colored hoodie was something he knew nobody would recognize him with, given that he'd just bought it that morning. He had his hood up to make sure nobody would know it was him all along.

"The hell is that, Gray?" asked Gajeel, pointing at his hoodie and subsequently losing the match.

"…it was the first thing I could find." Gray hoped his friends understood why he lied. He was still reluctant about the whole singing part of their night out. "Why're you dressed like that, though?"

"We're goin' out, right?" said the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Yeh gotta look good all the time when you're off-duty." Gray rolled his eyes. Gajeel often acted like he was still working as part of the Council's Enforcement Unit.

"With your looks, anyone would think you're still working," replied Natsu. Gajeel glared at him.

"What was that, Salamander?!"

"I'm saying you're fugly, Iron Breath!"

"I'm friggin' gorgeous compared to you and your stupid pink hair!"

"At least my 'stupid' hair doesn't catch fleas twice a year!"

"I shower more than you do, Stench-u! I have fewer fleas than you!"

Gray put his hands in his hoodie's pockets, biting his tongue. He really wanted to join the insult competition the Dragon Slayers had just started. He knew better, though; if he joined the little brawl the two had now begun, his cover would be blown once he stood on stage to sing.

"Guys," called the Devil Slayer, "aren't we going drinking? You can fight later…"

"Stripperrific's right," agreed Gajeel, calming down and letting go of Natsu's neck while the pink-haired hothead released his grip on his shirt. He dusted off his shirt and ran his hand across the spiky mess that was his hair, attempting to look good. Something in Gray's mind made him think that he'd always look good for someone. Gajeel turned to Natsu and added, "I'll kick your ass tomorrow."

"Whatever," snapped the Fire Dragon Slayer, "let's get goin'!"

* * *

Even though it was summer, Juvia decided to bring a black coat along, just in case. The weather in Magnolia had a tendency to get funny around her. More often than not, a cold breeze would drift her way and remind her of Gray, or maybe a light drizzle that wasn't caused by her would make the temperature drop for a bit before rising exponentially and make everyone in Fairy Tail sluggish and whiny. The sky-blue dress she was wearing underneath it was light and cool, though, so the coat would keep her body temperature if the night decided to get a little chilly. The Rain Woman finished tying her wavy hair into two pigtails and put on a beanie. She knew she looked great, especially when she put on her favorite necklace. She just hoped Gray would agree to her face.

The bluenette knocked on the door to Erza's apartment, and the redhead opened up with a grin. She was wearing a black tank top with black leggings and black boots, and had her hair tied up in a ponytail.

"We were wondering when you'd arrive," said the Requip Mage. "You look adorable, by the way!"

"T-thanks, Erza," replied the Water Mage with a shy smile while she entered the apartment. It always meant a lot to her when her friends complimented her looks. It was certainly better than being ignored by a certain Ice Mage…

"Juvia! Love the dress!" greeted Lucy happily from the couch. She was wearing a white button-up shirt with its sleeves rolled up and black shorts. Juvia thought the outfit fit her nicely, and she smiled at her. "You ready for some fun? I hear the new place has karaoke!"

Juvia's smile vanished instantly. "Wa-wait, what?" she asked, her face blanching. "Karaoke?"

"Oh, yeah," said Levy, entering the living room from the kitchen with a tray of snacks for the girls before they headed out. She was wearing blue jeans, an orange T-shirt, and a black jacket over it. Juvia thought the outfit was simple, but appropriate for the situation. "We're also gonna do some karaoke. My voice isn't that good, but I can join in with you girls if you don't choose anything too hard to sing. Hey, Juvia."

"H-hey, Levy…" Juvia's face went red. She never sang in public before, even though her companions had heard her sing a few times before. The busty bluenette looked at Erza, who sent a wink in her direction.

"Don't worry," said the redhead. "I'll make sure we have a great time. It's gonna be a night to remember, you hear?"

"Hear, hear," cheered the blonde. "But first… let's have a snack!"

Juvia ate with the other girls, but she had a hard time swallowing with the nervous lump that had formed in her throat.

* * *

" _El Coquí_ , huh?" said Gray, reading the bar's name while the trio entered. "Is this a bar, or a place where kids can be kids?"

"Definitely a bar," replied Natsu, though he had his doubts too.

For a pub, _El Coquí_ was huge. The place had a stage in the back, most likely where the karaoke would be held or where bands could perform any other week; at the moment, someone was singing a somewhat old pop song about never giving someone up, or something like that. To Gray's left was the bar itself, where a few people were chatting happily with drinks in their hands, and he noted that it was bigger than the one in the guild. To his right, however, the place was full of games they'd usually find in amusement parks or the occasional fair that would pass through Magnolia.

"Maybe the owner has a kid?" suggested Gajeel, who was also staring at the games. People were there, enjoying themselves, but Gray thought that the bar's drinks should be affecting their performance.

"I don't think so…" replied the Ice Mage. "Maybe the area has some magic that keeps everyone sober?"

"That would be… actually kinda convenient," replied Natsu. "I bet Cana would hate it here."

"She probably would," chuckled Gray. He started to walk towards the games, but Gajeel grabbed him by the back of his hoodie, almost pulling off the hood. Gray yelped and quickly grabbed the hood to keep it on.

"We're goin' drinking'," reminded the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Then we're goin' singin'. No games until we've sang at least a song each!"

"Awesome!" replied Natsu, smirking at the Ice Devil Slayer. "I hear you still sing like a girl, Gray."

 _'That damn cat,'_ thought Gray with a grimace. "Just 'cause I have a better range than you doesn't mean I sing like a girl, Natsu," he snapped.

"Who's got a better range?!" replied the Fire Dragon Slayer with a scowl. "Oh, you're on now, Frosty! Gajeel, we're goin' drinkin' now! I'll be taking the stage first!"

* * *

 **nope, no songs yet xD that's in the next chapter, I promise~ still, at least they're in the bar! I remember being in a bar with an arcade once; it was pretty cool, though the games cost like a dollar or two to play, so it was better to just drink :P I wanted to do that with this bar, but I remembered that Earthland doesn't exactly have videogames, so magic/non-electronic games it is? ugh, that was a mess, I know ;-;**

 **hey, at least the songs are gonna start in the next chapter? xD**

 _ **~Humbert**_


End file.
